Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
The final issue of the OPM U.S.
CategoriesVideo game
PublisherZiff Davis Media
First issueOctober 1997 (1997-10)
Final issueJanuary 2007 (2007-01)
Based inSan Francisco, California, U.S.
LanguageEnglish
Websiteopm.1up.com

Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (often abbreviated to OPM) was a monthly video game magazine, published by Ziff Davis Media. It was a sister publication of Electronic Gaming Monthly. The magazine focused exclusively on PlayStation hardware, software, and culture, covering the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. Each issue included a disc that contained playable demos and videos of PlayStation games. The magazine had a nearly ten-year run. The first issue, cover dated October 1997, was published September 23, 1997,[1] while the final issue was cover dated January 2007.

After OPM was discontinued in January 2007, the independent PlayStation magazine PSM became PlayStation: The Official Magazine in December 2007, replacing OPM as the official magazine focusing on Sony game consoles.

Staff

The final incarnation of the OPM staff included:

  • Editor-in-chief – Tom Byron
  • Managing editor – Dana Jongewaard
  • Senior editor – Joe Rybicki
  • Previews editor – Thierry "Scooter" Nguyen
  • News editor – Giancarlo Varanini
  • Art director – Ryan Vulk
  • Associate art director – Alejandro Chavetta
  • Disc editor – Logan Parr
  • Editorial director – John Davison

Past members included:

  • Senior Art Director - Bob Conlon
  • Managing editor – Gary Steinman
  • Managing editor – Din Perez
  • Managing editor – Dan Peluso
  • Reviews editor – Chris Baker
  • Associate editor – Mark MacDonald
  • Editor-in-chief – Wataru Maruyama
  • Editor-in-chief – Kraig Kujawa
  • Editor-in-chief – John Davison

Demo discs

OPM was the first gaming magazine to include a disc that featured playable demos of PlayStation games. Beginning with issue one, each magazine came with a disc containing playable PlayStation game demos and non-playable video footage. Later, interviews, industry event coverage, and video walkthroughs of games would also be included on the discs. Beginning with issue 49 (October 2001), the magazine came with a PlayStation 2 demo disc, though for a time it would still be alternated with original PlayStation demo discs. Issues 50, 52, and 54 were the last issues to include demo discs for the original PlayStation. All of the demo discs were developed by LifeLike Productions, Inc.

OPM had released one PlayStation Portable demo, Killzone Liberation. It was available only with the purchase of retail copies rather than subscription issues. The magazine was discontinued before making the assumed transition to PlayStation 3 demo discs.

International editions

Similar international editions of the magazine exist in Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Brazil and Australia. The Belgian edition is also published in the Netherlands.

The Australian edition was originally published by Next Media bi-monthly, but eventually became a monthly magazine. APC published the magazine after issue 18. It is currently published by Derwent Howard and is edited by Narayan Pattison.

References

  1. ↑ "Tidbits...". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 99. Ziff Davis. October 1997. p. 22.

Staff blogs

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